I Can

I keep fighting voices in my mind that say that I’m not enough

Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up

Am I more than the sum of every high and every low

Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know

You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing

You say I am strong when I think I am weak

You say I am held when I am falling short

And when I don’t belong, oh, You say I am Yours…

 

Such begins the first stanza of Lauren Daigle’s blockbuster hit “You Say,” which captured multiple platinum awards here in the United States and internationally. It is one of those songs that stopped me in my tracks when I first heard it. And my enjoyment of it only grows the more I listen to it. 

 

But the question is not just limited to a song or a person. The query is not unique to one gender or unique to a select indigenous people. The question “Am I enough?” is prevalent in all our minds, and the answer seems on the tip of our tongue and just out of reach. That is the predicament in which the world—speaking generally—finds itself. Who hasn’t asked this question multiple times when facing life’s obstacles?

 

Of course, at times we all wonder whether we are good enough. Can we really measure up? That’s one reason I connect with this song. Perhaps you don’t feel this has anything to do with you, really; life is peachy. I hope so, but I think your children, grandchildren, and friends may deal with this challenge every day of their lives. Many feel they just can’t keep all the commandments or measure up to the numerous demands surrounding home and family in the chaos of our day. These things have been prophesied for hundreds of years. Can we really overcome them? 

 

I believe we can, but we need to set our expectations correctly. Let’s use some everyday examples.

 

Nobody expects to walk up to a piano the first time and sit down and play Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor. He was a prolific and influential composer during the classical era. Born in Bonn, the capital of the Electorate of Cologne, and part of the Holy Roman Empire, Beethoven showed prodigious ability from childhood. But even then, practice, time, and dedication were necessary components.

 

I had a bunch of personal papers to discard recently. They included financial and other personal information. Fortunately, I have a shredder. So I sat down with my shredder and started inserting papers one at a time (or possibly, at most, a couple at a time). I had a lot of papers, so it took some time. But I came to realize quickly that the motor was strong enough to do just a little at a time.

 

 

Snow is falling out my window. At my age, a snow blower really comes in handy, but I find myself using a shovel as well on steps, corners, and the porch. Pushing the deep snow off the driveway is possible, but I have to measure the amount of snow when I begin my ascent or soon my momentum stops, and I have to take a second more reasonable approach. We have all experienced that.

 

Raking the hay on the farm is another good example. I have written numerous times about my upbringing in the country. Our little ten-acre farm had fields of alfalfa, which came in really handy for the animals we raised. When we first began that experience, however, we did not own a tractor or the implements to cut and bale the hay. Fortunately, others did, so my parents hired somebody to cut the hay. After a few days, the boys were tasked with raking the hay into piles so we could pick it up and put it together in the barn, a protected place to weather the seasons. This was no small task—we are talking about 3-4 acres of fields. We devised long rakes with wide swaths so we could expedite the task, but even then, that is a ton of raking. We accomplished it one field at a time, one area, one swath, one rakeful repeated over and over until the task was done.

 

So what do piano, papers, snow, and hay have in common with the hardships of our times today? Actually, it has everything to do with our challenges. We have been tasked with the incredible responsibility of becoming like our Heavenly Father. We do this by following the example of Jesus Christ and having faith to follow Him. We can’t do that all at once, either! It takes time and effort and ions. But that is the beauty of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of Him, we have the time and opportunity to follow the principles of the gospel that leads us back to our heavenly home.

 

The question is not “Can I do it?” but rather “Will I allow Him to refine me?” 

 

 

Like many of you, I recently watched the incredible Face to Face event centered on the Church’s program for children and youth all around the world. If you missed it, the full program is available on the Internet. (I actually was more impressed with it when I watched it online the second time! Additional information and ability to stop and repeat parts was great.) 

 

During this event, which took place on November 17, 2019, Elder Gerrit W. Gong answered questions focused on the Children and Youth initiative from around the world 

 

The event was broadcast live in 18 languages in more than 140 countries. Hundreds and thousands of youth heard for themselves how much the Lord and His servants love them. A special message from President Russell M. Nelson, who was traveling the world at the time, emphasized our young people’s importance. He noted that our Heavenly Father loves us and has prepared a way for our return home.

 

 

We must keep our focused fixed on our destination by following the example of the Savior. This will lead us to eternal happiness.

 

As President Nelson shared:

 

“You just need to choose to come unto your Savior and follow his teachings.”

 

Our prophet has promised us that as we learn to become more like Jesus Christ every day, miracles will happen.

 

We are His people engaged in His holy work. We are guaranteed success as we align our lives with Him.